


Men and Angels

by Hornet394



Series: Labyrinth!AU [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: A lot of fighting and death, Alternate Universe - Dark, Casual Sex, M/M, Mental Instability, Morally dubious Exo, Necrophilia, Yixing is basically a fucktoy sorry, but Luhan loves him all the same
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-03 00:45:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6589828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hornet394/pseuds/Hornet394
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Labyrinth's walls are cold, unfeeling and bland.  Luhan isn't the only one who paints them with blood, and he will wash his hands in them as long as he can keep the others away from what is his, because Luhan never shares.  Not with Kris, not with Kyungsoo, not with Junmyeon, and least of all not Minseok.</p><p>And if it means destroying everything he's every known, just to keep Yixing by his side, he'll do it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Men and Angels

**Author's Note:**

> If you're interested, their ages are as followed:  
> Yixing - 15-16  
> Luhan - 19-20  
> Soo - 24-25  
> Chanyeol - 27-28  
> Baekhyun - 21-22  
> Kai - 18-19  
> Minseok - 19-20  
> Tao - 18-19  
> Kris - 22-23  
> Junmyeon - 30-31  
> Jongdae - 16-17  
> Sehun - 21-22

Of the many people Luhan wanted to encounter today, Minseok is not one of them.  The sudden halt startles Yixing, and he looks up to Luhan for guidance.  Luhan’s hands tighten on their cart, but he doesn’t make a move for his weapons, so Yixing just presses closer to him.  “What’s for sale today?”  Minseok asks, disarming smile on his face.  “The usual,” Luhan intoned warily, “What brings you to this part of town?”

“Helping Kyungsoo with something,” Minseok says easily, “What can 3 cans of peach get me?”  Luhan’s eyes narrows.  No one has managed to produce peaches after the greenhouse was burnt down a few months ago, the cultivator with it.  Luhan would have suspected foul play, but there’s no point in killing one of the few people who actually manage to produce food in the Labyrinth, so Luhan lets it slide.  Minseok isn’t one to do his own dirty work, either.  Luhan has more than enough evidence for that.  “Weapons,” He replies methodically, “I’ll give you body armour for 5 cans.”

He doesn’t like doing business with Minseok,  who is one of the few people who can read Luhan like an open book, but Luhan isn’t going to turn down food.  

“What does Kyungsoo like?”  Minseok asks, “Why don’t you tell me?”

“Look, are you trading or not?”  Luhan snaps.  He can feel Yixing tensing up next to him, and he forces himself to calm down again lest he worries the boy.

“Always so rude, Han,” Minseok’s voice purrs like smooth syrup, “And I see you’ve finally gotten yourself a pet.”

Yixing bites his bottom lip and Luhan almost punches Minseok.  He knows exactly what  _ riles  _ Luhan up, courtesy of having grown up together and learnt how to kill together until Do Kyungsoo destroyed it all.

What he doesn’t know, however, is how  _ much _ Yixing detests people calling him pet names outside of sex, especially that particular one.  It reminds Yixing so acutely of the life he had been thrust into - at least Luhan get to choose between killing himself and killing others, and Luhan can see it in the way Yixing ducks his head, desperate for Luhan’s reassurance.  “We are on a tight schedule,” Luhan says tersely, “Do hurry up.  You don’t want to keep Kyungsoo waiting.”

“I would have expected a bit more love from someone like you, Luhan,” Minseok pouted lightly, “After all, we haven’t seen each other for so long.”

“Let’s go.”  Luhan turns to Yixing, who nods rapidly and helps push the cart along, and Minseok steps aside to let them pass.  The two of them are far away down the path when Minseok speaks again.

“Sehun’s dead,” Minseok calls, and Luhan’s grip tightens on Yixing warningly as the boy almost looks back again.  “Kris and Tao’s work is scribbled on him.

“Do you not care?” Minseok taunts, before Luhan drags Yixing around a corner.  “Who is he?” His boy asks, brows furrowed with worry and confusion.  “No one important,” Luhan snarls in response.  Minseok is nothing but a passing shadow, a garish display of Luhan’s past that Yixing will never be privy to.

On the surface, Luhan is a peddler.  He gives Chanyeol his monthly stash of explosives, and Kyungsoo especially likes the cigarettes and alcohol.  Baekhyun buys the few novels Luhan can pick up, but he takes great pains to make sure the ones Yixing likes are never discovered by the shorter man.  He flints Tao’s weapons for him, regularly trades his old ones in for new ones.  He hasn’t found anything that Kris likes yet, save the leering looks the tall man gives to Yixing, but Yixing is not for sale.  Sehun likes going over the trinkets everytime he chances upon Luhan, but rarely ever trades anything.  Even self-sustaining Junmyeon and his motley crew needs supplies from Luhan, bless his soul.  Everyone needs something in the Labyrinth, and Luhan knows that better than most.

Everyone knows how Luhan get so many supplies, to be quite honest.  The others just can’t be bothered to venture out of their territories to hunt down people for it.  And Luhan doesn’t, either, but he and Yixing are pretty enough faces that people think they’re easy to take down.  They’re wrong, of course.  

But Luhan is careful, too.  He never leaves a callcard, like the others fancy doing.  Even Junmyeon and his second-in-charge, Jongdae, leave visible marks of knocking people’s teeth out in the rare times they actually hunt.  He makes sure to burn everything after he kills, as Yixing loads the supplies on the cart Luhan procured, so that nobody will know Luhan the peddler had come through.

But if there is one man Luhan would never want to fight, it would be Kyungsoo and his gang of four.  He is the bogeyman that mothers speak of, the monster that puts even the most skilled fighters on edge at night lest he invades their dreams.  Luhan remembers his father, a strong, burly man with a temper of steel and fists even harder, and the easy way Kyungsoo folded him under his arms, the casualness in the way Chanyeol and Baekhyun executed Luhan’s family like a piece of art.  And of course, there is little Jongin, the Yixing to Kyungsoo.  Rumours say that Kyungsoo writes everyone’s names down, and lets Jongin pick from them every night.  The next day, he kills whoever the boy has picked regardless of what they had done.

Luhan entertains the thought briefly, sitting on a metaphorical throne with a blood-crusted crown, his precious little Yixing on his lap, picking up people like eggs and throwing them against the wall.

Kyungsoo lords over the land to the east.  He isn’t like Kris, who holds himself aloof with the title men had bestowed him and Tao.  Kyungsoo is an avid believer of the rumour that says the more people you kill, the closer you will be to escaping.  He is lord over everyone and no one, for everyone in the vicinity of his base are either dead or has fled.  He is ruthless, strong, and unforgiving.  Baekhyun and Chanyeol, on the other hand, are more prone to killing frivolously, a mini-game they play between themselves.  They are no less dangerous than Kyungsoo, Baekhyun with deadly accuracy and a hand so slight that people fall without even noticing his approach, let alone his powerful kicks that can render a muscled man unconscious, and Chanyeol with his towering stature and an ardent love for explosions.  They are men that Luhan wants dead, but would not dare go after.  Ironically, he is also their nearest neighbour, for Luhan knows that Kyungsoo won’t kill him.  There’s no imminent need to, when Luhan provides him with so much and merely asks for protection in return.  They’re both waiting to stab each other in the back, but for now the status quo holds.

To the west is Kris and Tao, the twin terrors that crush everyone they encounter with unyielding force.  Luhan admires them, to be quite honest, admires their confidence and self-assurance that no one could ever defeat them.  They’re also the most prone to boasting over their kills, the former with physical strength unparalleled and the other with the deadliest speed.  They are  dangerous men, too, and it is only a matter of time before they come knocking.  Mulling over Minseok’s words, he turns to Yixing with a plan.  

The thing about Yixing is that he’s  _ so damn complacent _ as well, and Luhan sometimes wonders if the boy ever knows how to say no.  Yixing quickly agrees to the plan and they go to Kris’ house as scheduled, knocks on the door with their bounty.  He wonders if he had made the wrong choice when K ris threads possessive fingers through Yixing’s hair, immediately dragging him into the room he and Tao shares, Luhan forgotten.

He doesn’t need to know, when it works to his favour as Kris and Tao are occupied with fucking the boy into oblivion, occupied with wrecking him like Luhan likes to.  He can hear the boy’s broken sobs through the paper thin wall, Kris’ heavy grunts and Tao’s lighter but equally as vicious pants.  He hopes they don’t break Yixing - he quite likes his boy being dainty and perfect, and the only bruises he wants to see on Yixing’s skin is his own.  But he can’t be complaining, when Kris and Tao are so enraptured by Yixing that he can easily sneak one of Tao’s infamous band shirts under his own.  The two may not notice it being gone, but anyone else would certainly recognize it.  He fights the urge to whistle as he walks out of their lair, listening to Kris calling Yixing a good slut as his boy falls apart.

He goes pick up Yixing the next day, and his boy can hardly walk, collapsing immediately into Luhan’s arms.  His boy is terrified, and Luhan wonders why.  He makes love to him that night, cooing at the boy and careful not to antagonize his wounds, and Yixing cries his heart out in Luhan’s lap as he makes Yixing tell him how Kris had used him like a ragdoll while Tao watched.

//

Yixing was fourteen when Luhan first meets him.  He was on a raid with Sehun, another lone wolf and the man who introduced him to sex.  There were a bunch of raiders that dared ignore Sehun’s claim on his territory, and he had enlisted Luhan’s help.  Sehun is one of the few people that Luhan could kill but wouldn’t by virtue only, and had been a great companion when it had lasted.

Yixing was fourteen and was so lost and vulnerable the way Sehun never would be.  He was their pet, then, born within the walls of the Labyrinth and sold quickly after birth, and he cried when Luhan killed the raiders.  He asked him why as he fucked him against the wall with the blood over his hands as lubricant.  Only by living by the rules, only by  _ killing _ , can Luhan find his liberation.

“They were men too,” Yixing had said.  Luhan stared dubiously at him.  Luhan remembers stories of a time when mankind weren’t stuck in this labyrinth, when men loved each other and peace was a thing that existed beyond empty words. Yixing doesn’t, but his mind had never left that world.

Luhan likes the way his pale skin bruised so easily, the way his brown hair curled naturally and fell over his eyes, the deep dimple that appears when he’s happy.  He doesn’t kill Yixing, and decides to keep him even as Sehun leers at him for getting soft.

And Yixing isn’t all looks, either.  Luhan gets to keep more supplies now, and the boy is observant and understanding, quick with a blade and his aim is also true.  His only qualm with the boy is that he’s slow to kill, too gentle and sweet for his own good.  But somehow Luhan likes that part of him, the quivering of his bottom lip when confronted with enemies, the moans that fall out of his pretty lips as Luhan makes him kneel in the blood and takes him from behind.  He likes the desperate noises Yixing makes when Luhan fucks him, the feeble struggles he puts up when Luhan chokes him, when Luhan grips him too tight.

He likes the way Yixing gently treats his wounds, as if afraid that Luhan will shatter into a million glass shards if he presses too hard.  He likes the little sounds of joy Yixing makes when they come up on valuable equipment, the way he leans into Luhan instinctively when strangers come out of nowhere.  He likes the way Yixing’s eyes go unfocused at times as he takes in everything, the little whimsical tunes he hums under his breath, the way he bites his bottom lip when he is nervous, or better, when Luhan compliments him.  He likes the way Yixing sleeps, vulnerable and fragile, tucked into the crook of Luhan’s arm as he shifts around slightly, soft puffs of breath on Luhan’s collarbone.  He likes the way Yixing falls apart under him, begs him for more, looks at him like Luhan is the only one that matters.

//

Junmyeon and Jongdae have been seeking out Luhan quite frequently in the past year.  Normally, Luhan has a schedule.  Settlers know when to expect him, and knows when not to expect him when he is off hunting down more supplies.  He has a routine, and he is unappreciative of the  fact that Junmyeon is interrupting it, and is depleting his supplies faster than expected.

Normally, he welcomes the two of them.  They have a settlement with over thirty settlers, and they are far from the most raucous of Luhan’s regular’s.  Junmyeon has a quiet confidence that awes Luhan at times, and Jongdae is one of the few that can keep up with Luhan’s barbed speech, and Luhan has practically watched Jongdae grow from the height of a grasshopper to being Junmyeon's equal.  In Luhan’s opinion, they are also the closest people to figuring out how to get out of the Underworld.

See, there are myths, passed on by Luhan’s family and the family before them, circulating into rumours and legends that no one can confirm.  Luhan’s parents remember the outside world, of technology and armaments and cherry blossoms, but Luhan doesn’t.  Luhan was one of the first children living amongst the Labyrinth, and its grey walls is all he ever knows.  

Some say that there’s an exit somewhere, in this never-ending grey landscape with an oppressive ceiling and sporadic walls.  Some say that there are secrets hidden inside the walls.  Some say that there’s some higher deity that roams the maze.  No one knows.  There’s one popular rumour that Luhan’s family believes in.  If you kill everyone else, you get to leave the Labyrinth.

Junmyeon and Jongdae, on the other hand, have other ideas.  They’ve gathered a group of like-minded people in an ivory tower that chip away at the Labyrinth for what it is.  They’ve came up with crazy theories that make Luhan think that maybe, they’re the smartest people out of the Labyrinth’s population.

But not smart enough to learn not to touch what is Luhan’s without permission, obviously.

He knows what Junmyeon is here for.  He recognizes Junmyeon’s look.  But Junmyeon wants Yixing, and Luhan isn’t one to share frivolously.  Kris and Tao are exceptions because sex is probably the only way to distract those two, and has taught Luhan a valuable lesson in keeping his precious safe by his side.  He makes sure Yixing’s neck and arms are decorated with bruises, makes sure to keep his boy close to him as he meets Junmyeon the next day, and he relishes in the way Junmyeon’s eyes harden and narrows, even though his tone is soft and his smile is gentle as he talks to Yixing as one does a scared animal.  

Jongdae doesn’t like it, either.  Junmyeon may call the shots, but Luhan sees the green eyed monster lurking behind Jongdae’s eyes, hidden behind the blade of his smile and the easy way he slings an arm over Yixing’s shoulder.  Luhan thinks life is too short for Jongdae to skirt around the issue of his attraction towards Junmyeon, but if it works in his favour, he doesn't give a fuck.

A few choice words here and there has Jongdae’s hands balling into fists, and Yixing almost flinches from Jongdae’s touch if not for Luhan’s hand on the back of his neck, steadying him and grounding him.  Luhan invites Junmyeon to talk more to Yixing, and even invites him to  _ stay over one night because we haven’t caught up in a long time and wouldn’t it be great? _

Junmyeon almost accepts, but Jongdae’s abrupt departure has the man quickly apologizing and darting after his partner.  Luhan makes a mental note to keep Yixing close by his side, lest Jongdae decide to channel his frustrations elsewhere.

//

Luhan does have a house, tucked away in a hidden alcove in the labyrinth, an area filled with vain stained glass and shrubbery.  Luhan has never seen Yixing this happy before, and he likes the look of it.  He makes a point to go home every now and then, just to hear the boy’s tinkling laughter and the gentle way he threads his fingers through Luhan’s, leaning his head on his shoulder as he drifts asleep.

It is one such particular day, a few weeks after they go to Kris’ house that he leaves Yixing in the relative safety of it and goes hunting.  He knows Kyungsoo is miles away dealing with a little disturbance between some settlers, and he knows Kyungsoo likes drawing things out.  If he is in luck, Baekhyun and Chanyeol would have went with him.  He picks the lock quickly and slips into the huge apartment.

Explosives casually litter the floor he gets in, luckily empty of any gunpowder.  He quickly steps over the beartraps.  In one of the rooms, someone is stirring.  “Soo?  Is it you?”  A deep, but youthful voice echoed in the apartment.

Not entirely stupid then, Luhan mused, but not smart enough to keep quiet.  He quickly locates the room the voice came from, and it is over before the boy can scream.

Jongin is a petite little thing, but taller than Kyungsoo most probably, with tan skin and dark chocolate eyes, bed hair still sticking everywhere.  He and Kyungsoo do look good together, Luhan thinks, as he brings his hands hard onto Jongin’s head, disorienting him before flipping him over and snapping his spine into two with an audible crack.  

Straddling the dead body, Luhan takes some time to calm down his pumping heart and wipe away the sweat on his hands.  Jongin barely put up a fight, and Luhan is dissatisfied with the lack of a good brawl.  Getting off, he throws the body onto the ground, then grabs the nearest thing - a crowbar, and brings the round end down hard on where the bone had snapped.  No blood comes out, but the bone is further splintering into miniscule pieces.  Luhan doesn’t particularly like this way of killing, but it serves his purpose.  For the final touch, he takes off the shirt he is wearing and puts it in Jongin’s hands, tearing it from the front to look like Jongin had tore it off during a struggle, but he makes sure that the band name is still visible.  

Humming victoriously, he goes back home.  

Yixing doesn’t come out until Luhan calls him to, and his boy trots over like an obedient puppy, knife safely tucked away in his waistbelt as he asks Luhan what they were going to do.  “What do you want to do?”  Luhan asks back.  The boy thinks for a while, opening and closing his mouth a few times, making Luhan want to cuddle him even more.

Scrunching up his nose in thought, Yixing finally sank to his knees, and Luhan almost purrs in delight.  His boy’s deft fingers pulls down Luhan’s pants and boxers, before laving his cock with attention.  Luhan’s hands go to pet Yixing softly, and his boy starts sucking in earnest, lips wrapped around Luhan’s cock, the head making an obscene bulge against his cheek as Yixing bobs his head up and down, eyes filled with doe-like innocence as Luhan praises him between breathless pants.

He can hear Kyungsoo’s enraged scream from here, and his grip tightens on Yixing’s hair when the boy panics slightly from the sound.  Luhan can’t keep the smirk riding up his face, and he only wishes he was there to see Kyungsoo’s face as he sees his beloved Jongin lying on the floor, his spine crushed the way Kris does his victims, with Tao’s shirt torn in his hands.  Jongin really is an exquisite thing, and Luhan can see why Kyungsoo likes him so much.

He wonders who will come out on top, Kris and Tao with their physical prowess, or Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, and Baekhyun’s wit and rage.    His curiosity is burning him alive from within, and he coaxes his boy to spread his legs to take his mind off the impending disaster.

//

Luhan brings Yixing to visit Kris and Tao again, right after he sees Kyungsoo marching triumphantly back to his territory, openly, Chanyeol and Baekhyun behind him.  A thick gash marks the shorter man’s face, and Luhan fervently prays it will get infected.  Baekhyun is visibly favouring one leg, while Chanyeol’s torso is wrapped by bandages and blood.  He takes Yixing’s hand and leads him into the heart of Kris’ territory.  He can see scorch marks running along the walls, the windows torn apart and the door almost falling off its hinges.  Tao is lying in a pool of blood, gasping for air as he looks at Luhan desperately.  Luhan looks back and Yixing’s eyes are welling with tears, and he looks down to see resignation and revelation touch Tao’s eyes as he takes in Luhan’s possessive grip on Yixing’s wrist.

Wordlessly, Luhan taps Yixing’s sheathed knife lightly, and the boy shakes his head defiantly, but Luhan squeezes his wrist lightly and lets go.  Yixing’s hands tremble as he takes the blade out, and he is shaking as he kneels on the floor next to Tao’s head.  Luhan pets his brown hair lightly.  “You’re putting him out of his misery,” He says quietly, “We’ll be safer.”

A tear splashes against Tao’s cheek as Yixing brings the knife down, methodical and efficient as he slits the man’s throat, as if putting down a lame animal.  A horrible gurgling sound erupts and quiets.  

With shaking hands Yixing sheathes the knife again, and Luhan drags him up by the hair to devour his mouth greedily, swallowing the wetness of his mouth and the saltiness of his tears.  He caresses Yixing’s cheek with one hand, petting his hair lightly and tells him he had did a great job, and then he leads Yixing further into the house.  

He can barely recognize Kris’ face, if not for the bold splash of paint on the wall that Kyungsoo had written,  _ Here lies Kris the mighty _ .  Luhan can smell the mockery from where he stands.  Kyungsoo has done a magnificent job, too, the mutilation on his body almost as good as Sehun’s artful post-mortem creations.  

“Look around,” Luhan instructs, “Let’s see what we can get out of this.”  Nodding shakily, Yixing started rummaging in the cupboards as Luhan got onto his hands and feet, looking for any secret compartments.

A sudden sound makes Yixing jump in fright and Luhan immediately draws his blade, peeking out the windows.  He lets out a little yelp of joy.  “It’s Junmyeon and Jongdae!”  He crows, turning to Yixing, who has a puzzled look on his face.  He kisses a startled Yixing briefly, before pulling him over to the middle of the room, right next to the pool of blood.  Yixing is clutching something in his hands, so Luhan takes it off him but he doesn’t exactly have time for this right now.  He tells Yixing the new plan and his boy nods along, lighting up with dimple in full view as Luhan calls him a good boy and pets him on the hair.  

As the front door opens and closes, Luhan quickly ducks beneath the bed, and Yixing calls out to ask who it is.

“Yixing, is that you?”  Junmyeon sounds shocked as he enters the room, but Jongdae is wearing a stormy look on his face.  “Hi,” Yixing replies shyly, ducking his head.  Luhan watches as Junmyeon’s gaze trails the minute movement, and he drinks up the way Jongdae glares daggers at Junmyeon’s back.  “What are you guys doing here?”  Yixing asks.

“Where’s your master?” Jongdae asks teasingly instead, but the threat is there, hanging above them all like a guillotine.  “He sent me out to get some fun,” Yixing replies the way Luhan had taught him, “He isn’t expecting me until tomorrow.”

Junmyeon steps forward, and Luhan smiles.

“It’s dangerous out here,” The older man says invitingly, “What about you come back with us?  We can show you around our territory.”

“No!” Jongdae immediately snaps, and Luhan almost giggles in joy.

“Why not?” Yixing pouts, and Luhan has to muffle his excited chortles with a hand.  His boy’s perception works perfectly in these situations, and his boy knows what Luhan wants.  He doesn’t know why, but he’ll carry it out no matter what.

Yixing tucks himself into the crook of Junmyeon’s arm and Jongdae storms out behind the two, both men forgetting their original purpose of being there.

Cautiously, Luhan crawls out from under the bed and brushes off imaginary dust.  He uncrumples the paper from where it had been crunched into a ball from his excitement.  There are faint scribbles on it, indecipherable scrawls framed by hexagons that look like something out of a fantasy novel then the Underground.  Humming quietly to himself, he tears the paper into shards and lets them fall into the pool of blood, coating it thoroughly in the sticky substance.  

//

Yixing returns a few hours later, a bright red hickey on the side of his neck.  Luhan punches the bedstand lightly but welcomes Yixing back with a gentle peck on the lips.  “How was Junmyeon?”  He asks, genuinely curious.  Yixing shrugs, toying with the hem of his shirt as he sits next to Luhan on the bed.  “He was very gentle,” Yixing says hesitantly, “He took things very slow.”

Luhan frowns slightly.  “Well, did you like it?”  He asks.  Yixing shrugs again.  “It wasn’t bad,” He says, then adds hesitantly, “I like it more when you do it.”  A wide grin splits across Luhan’s face and he pounces on Yixing happily, pinning the younger boy underneath him.  Yixing looks up at him with wide eyes, and Luhan kisses him simply for being so darn adorable all the time.  “I’ll always take care of you,” Luhan vows, nuzzling Yixing’s cheek, and he can feel his boy nodding rapidly.

After a few quiet seconds of cuddling, Yixing pats Luhan on the arm gently to catch his attention.  “There was something up in the apartment complex,” Yixing says quietly, reporting to Luhan like he was instructed to.    “There were scribbles, hexagons everywhere,” Yixing continues, “Even in Junmyeon’s room.  Papers stuck onto the maze walls.  It was everywhere.”

Luhan hums lowly in thought, rolling off Yixing to lay on his back.  Junmyeon’s pacifist crew might be getting close to figuring the Labyrinth out, but Luhan has no idea what the hexagons mean.  As far as he knew, there was no end to the Labyrinth, and although civilization did tend to group together in this region, the maze went on forever.  “And then there was a man,” Yixing says nervously, “He kept looking at me, wherever I went, but Junmyeon seemed okay with it.  It made me scared.  And then Junmyeon said-”

“What did he say?”  Luhan presses, rolling over onto his stomach to look at Yixing.  His boy is trembling slightly, eyes fixated onto the ceiling.  “He said more and more people are dying everyday,” Yixing said in a small voice, “He says there are less than fifty people alive in the Labyrinth right now.”

Luhan ruffles his brown hair affectionately.  “Don’t worry about it,” He says, “You’ve had had a long day, you probably should get some sleep.”

Yixing doesn’t look convinced, but he acquiesces, the way Luhan likes it.

//

Luhan is awoken by quiet sniffling.  Sitting up, he gingerly strikes a match and lights the bedside lamp.  Yixing’s face is buried in his palms, his shoulders quivering as he cries, half-hidden by the sheets.

“What’s wrong?”  Luhan asks, bringing a hand up to wipe away his boy’s tears, making Yixing look up at him.  It unnerves him, seeing his boy cry outside sex.  “He’s looking at you,” His boy chokes out, and Luhan quickly whips around.  There is no one else in the room.  “What are you talking about, Xing?”

“It’s that man right there,” Yixing sobs, burying his face into Luhan’s shoulder, “He has these big white feathery wings, and- and- it’s so bright- make him go away-”

“Focus on me, Yixing,” Luhan cooes, cupping his boy’s face in his palms, “I’ll keep you safe.”

Yixing nods tearfully, and Luhan cannot resist the urge to kiss him thoroughly, languidly, and Yixing’s eyes flutter close as he moans quietly into the touch.  “Keep your eyes closed,” Luhan instructs, as he divests Yixing of his clothes.  Yixing shivers slightly as the smooth expanse of his skin is exposed to naked air, but Luhan quickly covers him with body warmth as he plants kisses down Yixing’s bare chest, adding light bruises into his skin next to the ones that haven’t faded from him the last time he rode Luhan into completion.

Yixing bucks slightly into Luhan’s touch, and he smirks against the smooth skin as he nuzzles Yixing’s erection briefly, eliciting a desperate cry from his boy’s lips before he moves further downwards.  In the dark he presses wet kisses to the insides of Yixing’s thighs, and Yixing twines his legs over Luhan’s shoulder in anticipation.  Luhan responds his boy’s eagerness with a slow lick over his entrance, and Yixing’s muscles tense up instinctively as his boy whines in displeasure, eyes screwed shut as his hands fist into the bedsheets.

Luhan fucks Yixing with long, broad strokes, like they have all the time in the world as he makes Yixing fall apart, a litany of wanton moans falling from his lips like a prayer, Luhan’s name intermingled within.  Luhan takes care to spread his boy thoroughly, adding fingers alongside his tongue as Luhan licks into the tight heat patiently, Yixing’s cock dripping precum onto his hair but he doesn’t mind, and he finally draws back with a satisfied smile on his face as Yixing cums all over his stomach untouched.

Yixing’s eyes are still tightly shut as he blindly reaches out for Luhan, and Luhan falls into his embrace as he slides into Yixing, reveling in the way Yixing’s back arches up and let out breathy moans as he accommodates to the intrusion, hands twining around Luhan’s neck as Luhan establishes a smooth and steady pace, powerful thrusts that jostle the bed and make Yixing’s moan and whimper as Luhan’s cock drag along his walls, which quickly turn into high-pitched cries as Luhan finds his prostate easily and begins to aim for it with every thrust, Luhan’s hands planted firmly to the mattress next to Yixing’s head.

He peppers kisses over Yixing’s face, lapping up the salty tracks of his dried tears, reassuring him over and over again that Luhan will keep him safe - that’s what he’s been doing all along, hasn’t he?

Yixing’s nails dig painfully into Luhan’s clothed flesh as Yixing keens underneath him, pushing back against his powerful thrusts with vigour, and Luhan devours every one of his moans as he pounds into the younger boy, Yixing’s cock a delicious weight trapped between both of their bodies.  

Yixing presses impossibly close as he comes with a broken cry, muscles clenching up helplessly drawing Luhan’s own orgasm out of him.  Luhan slumps over his boy, nosing Yixing’s sweaty cheek.  “Are you feeling better now?”  He whispers.  Yixing nods shyly in the dark, and Luhan rolls off him to cradle Yixing to his chest, drawing the covers up again around them.  He thinks he sees Yixing still looking at the corner of the room, but sleep quickly claims him.

//

“Have you been to Junmyeon’s lately?”  Minseok asks as soon as Luhan steps into the house from taking out the trash.  Yixing is quivering in a corner, blade clutched in both hands.  His eyes are wide with fright, and dark circles frame the bloodshot orbs.  How much sleep did he manage to get?

“This is extremely rude of you, Minseok,” Luhan says warily, circling the man carefully until he reached Yixing’s side.  He coaxes the boy to go back to the room, and Yixing quickly scurries out.  “You scared him,” Luhan scolds quietly.

Minseok hummed thoughtfully and sat down on one of the chairs.  “You’re getting attached, Luhan,” He said, “I thought not getting attached was why we separated?”  

“Well, you selling my family out to Do Kyungsoo probably helped too,” Luhan replies sarcastically, glancing over the room to make sure Minseok hadn’t laid down any traps without him noticing.  “What about Kim Junmyeon?”

A light smile touches Minseok’s lips.  “His group has been obsessed with something recently,” The older man says, “Archaic designs of hexagons and other geometric shapes.  Strange writing and markings.”

Luhan purse his lips.  “What about them?”

Minseok grins.  “They say some people go insane over them.  One glimpse, and they start getting hallucinations and weird dreams of the world above.”

“Everything is just a myth,” Luhan replies harshly, “No one knows for sure we are in the Underworld.  No one knows for sure this escape actually exists.  All we have are stories.”

Minseok claps his hands together and leans forward, a strange glint in his eyes.  “And why shouldn’t we attest to them?” Minseok almost purrs, “Come with me, Luhan, and we’ll dig to the bottom of this.  It’ll be just like we were young again, spontaneous road trips and watching each other’s backs.  It’ll be fun!”

Luhan’s eyes flicker slightly to the closed door of the room.  “I’ve heard Jongdae’s theories,” he rations, “It’s much too early to think that they’ll actually go anywhere.”

Disappointment dashes across Minseok’s face, and his smile turns icy, but he is polite and friendly as he stands up.  “I’ll leave you and the little one alone,” He says, turning to leave the house, “You know where to find me.”

“Please don’t come back,” Luhan mutters, and even opens the door for him just to slam it shut immediately and lock it with their only padlock.  He puts a hand above his heart and it is racing uncontrollably, a hummingbird taken flight.  He turns back into his room, looking to reassure Yixing, just to find his boy crouched on the bed, hands moving frantically over one of the blank notebooks Luhan has in the cart.  The sheets are sprawled over the ground, and Luhan quickly walks over to Yixing’s side.  

Yixing is drawing something, scribbling down something on every page, before flipping to a new page and repeating the same diagrams.  A hexagon formed by fragmented lines, and letters that look nothing like the ones Luhan knows.  “Yixing, what are you doing?”  He asks, unnerved.  His boy doesn’t look up, doesn’t react, brown hair falling into his eyes as he robotically copies the images somewhat manically, as if Luhan didn’t exist anymore.

Desperately Luhan grabs Yixing’s hands, forcing him to drop the pen and he kicks the notebook away.  Yixing looks at him with eyes that aren’t really there.  Luhan shakes him slightly, calls his name, and ugly fear creeps into his voice as Yixing continues to stare at him.  Luhan drops his boy’s hands and steps away, and Yixing’s gaze is still fixated on that particular spot.  

Luhan resists the urge to scream.  The papers are scattered across the bed, and he picks one of them up helplessly.  He turns the paper around in his hands, contemplative.  The squiggles make no sense to him, but Luhan remembers seeing it before.  Minseok mentioned it, just a split second ago.  In Kris’ house.  Junmyeon’s paper.  Irrational rage fly into his eyes and Luhan leaves Yixing in the house, still shivering in his own nightmares.

Jongdae is awake, but not awake enough to see Luhan coming.  He cries out once in alarm, and barely blocks Luhan’s answering swipe before crumpling onto the ground.  Luhan pins him down with his knees as he slashes mindlessly, probably excessively too and blood blinds him for a split second, but he cannot bring himself to stop.  The alarm bells start ringing and the sentries come towards Luhan, but he ducks swiftly into a shadowed alcove and watch as they trip over the mangled mess on the ground, scared and disoriented.  With clinical efficiency he slits their throats in the shadows and they drop like despicable flies.  He enters the squalor of apartments and he smothers everyone in their sleep, albeit carelessly, and blood flies into his hair and drenches his shirt.  

He finds Junmyeon in the largest room, the sheets rumpled and hastily kicked off to a side.  Papers and vials spill out of a suitcase that Junmyeon struggles to slam shut.  Luhan doesn’t bother to keep quiet and Junmyeon spins around angrily, his eyes filled with unbridled hate.

“Why are you doing this?”  Junmyeon gasps out angrily, and Luhan fights the urge to laugh.  The older man parries his blows, but Luhan can feel him faltering.  A clean cut appears on the older man’s pale skin and he flinches, but then Luhan’s feet are swept from underneath him and he topples on the floor, head hitting the cement unforgivingly.  His knife slips from his grasp.

“Stop!” Junmyeon cries, eyes filled with sorrow and regret.  But Luhan can hardly see, can hardly bring himself to see.  With an enraged growl he launches himself at Junmyeon, tackling the older man with bare fists and claws.  Junmyeon’s hands scrabble for purchase as Luhan strangles him, nails digging harshly into soft flesh as Junmyeon struggles for breath.

Saliva splashes against Luhan’s hands as Junmyeon’s legs bang painfully against Luhan’s hips, struggling to push the younger man off to no avail.  Gradually Luhan’s heavy panting is all that is left to echo in the room, and he gingerly flexes his fingers as he removes his hands from the motionless body in front of him.

Wearily, Luhan climbs up from Junmyeon, and he starts walking through the huge complex.  His hands and arms sting from the heavy welts Junmyeon left on him.  Bodies litter the cement walls.  He doesn’t remember killing all of them, but he must have.  Papers line the walls, half-drenched with blood, with algorithms and scribblings in ink.  His feet drag along the cement, his shoes squelching with every step he took.

He walks out of the complex and his feet automatically carries him back home, winding through the Labyrinth corridors.  Luhan can barely see through the blood-fueled haze in front of him, the walls of the maze dimly lit with archaic lanterns.  It is always dark in the Labyrinth, and Luhan had grown up in a world as such, but suddenly he hates it.

He enters the house, and Yixing is crying.

He rushes into their room, and Yixing has his hands clasped over his ears, hair matted with sweat.  “Make it stop,” Yixing screams, curling up in the bed in a fetal position, “Make them go away!”

The walls, the floor, covered by those scribbles, circles and squares and curvy lines that make no sense to Luhan, that stare mockingly at him.  Paper litter the floor, the same designs dancing across the surface, mocking Luhan.  Some of them are etched deep into the wall where Yixing had put too much pressure, hexagons decorating them like a never ending nightmare.  “Where were you?”  Yixing screams into Luhan’s chest, and he tries to soothe his boy but nothing seems to be working.  

“Make it stop,” Yixing sobs, tears mixing with the blood that drenches Luhan’s body, “Save me.”

Luhan quiets.

He places one hand on the base of Yixing’s neck, the other on his head.  Yixing quiets, too, and he retracts briefly as he closes his eyes.  “I love you so much,” Luhan breathes, and Yixing whimpers.  “Thank you,” his boy whispers back, and he falls back onto the bed as Luhan lets go.

Even in death he looks so innocent and frail, so lovable and so  _ Luhan’s _ , and Luhan almost regrets snapping his neck.  He brushes a light hand over Yixing’s eyelids.  Death is the only thing that will take Yixing from Luhan’s side, not those insane dreams and passing fancies that enraptures the boy, until his heart and mind drifts away between Luhan’s fingers.  He doesn’t understand how Yixing had been trapped in his own mind, but Luhan will liberate him.  Luhan has always taken care of him, always treasured and cherished Yixing, and his heart is heavy as he rearranges Yixing on the bed so that he is lying on it properly.  Candle light casts shadows on his boy, a halo that is crooked and broken.  Luhan has never  _ hurt _ so much before.

Yixing’s lips are cold and chapped, a phantom movement of his boy relenting under him as Luhan devours his mouth, gently shedding both of their clothes.  His boy is so relaxed in his arms, and Luhan gently laves his nipples with attention, until they become pebbled under his fingers.  He presses butterfly kisses to Yixing’s soft skin, and he pulls Yixing’s legs over his shoulders as he slips two dry fingers into Yixing’s entrance, scissoring him patiently until flesh yields underneath his fingers.  He brushes against Yixing’s prostate, and his boy takes everything without complaint.

When Luhan slides into him he quivers as he is torn between treasuring his boy, loving his boy, or to claim him and mark him all over until no one will try to take Yixing away from him again.  It is far too tight, Yixing’s muscles fluttering lightly as Luhan thrusted, savouring in the warmth and  _ wholeness _ only his boy can bring him.

Wetness on his cheeks startle him as he comes, and he blots away the tears.  He hasn’t cried before.  It is unfamiliar to him.  

He draws out and brings the blankets up, tucking Yixing in.  It is as if Yixing is having the most peaceful dream he could ever have.  His boy looks even more dainty and pale, an angel in Luhan’s humble abode.  Luhan kisses him again, letting the tears spill onto the bed.

Once he starts crying, he can’t stop.  He cries as he steps away from the house, each step heavier than most.  He cries as he takes all the kerosene out of storage, pouring them meticulously over the house, inside the house.  He cries as he drops the candle, as flames roar up all around him.  He almost stays there, inside the flames, dies in it.

//

Of the first people Luhan wanted to encounter today, Minseok is not one of them.  His eyes are still puffy but he glares at Minseok all the same.  “Where’s the little one?”  Minseok asks, leaning on the cart, forcing Luhan to stop.  “He left.”  Luhan intoned monotonously.  

“I went by your house the other day,” Minseok said, “Why did you burn it down?”

Luhan glares at Minseok.  The older man smiles at him, disarmingly familiar.  “You’ve changed a lot, Han,” Minseok muses, “That was quite the bloodbath.”

Luhan makes to push his cart forwards.  

“You killed him, didn’t you?”  Minseok continues, “You couldn’t bear the thought of him leaving you.” 

Quick as a flash Luhan has Minseok hefted up by his collar, Yixing’s dagger at his throat.  “You know nothing!”  He snarls, spit flying onto Minseok’s face.  Something passes through Minseok’s eyes, undecipherable.  “If the little one is gone,” He says instead, “My offer to join forces is still on the table.”

“What for?” Luhan lets Minseok go and takes a step back, wiping the sweat pooling in his hand on the metal handles of his cart.

“Kyungsoo got his hands on some papers,” Minseok says, leaning against the wall, “Some of Kris’, some of Junmyeon’s.  Chanyeol claims they’re close to figuring out how to escape from here.”

“And what use is that?” Luhan says bitterly, “There is nothing that interests me.”

Minseok’s hand darts out, and Luhan almost bats it away.  Minseok grasps his wrist firmly, eyes bearing into Luhan’s, pinning him down like a trapped animal with his gaze.  “Come on, Luhan.  I can’t believe that something so trivial and miniscule would destroy you like this.  The Luhan I knew wouldn’t stop at anything.”

Luhan tears his hand away, looking at his cart to hide the shame from his childhood friend.  “Everything’s different now,” He says bitterly, “We’re not the same people we were.”

“What’s so difficult about that?”  Minseok presses, circling the cart to make Luhan look at him, “We survive.  We kill anyone and anything that stands in our way.  It’ll be like in the past, you and me against the world.  We can do anything, as long as we’re together.”

Luhan looks into Minseok’s sincere eyes, and he can almost hear his father’s deep-throated laughter again, sticking a leg out to trip Luhan so that Minseok can pounce on him, two cubs play-fighting in the dirt.  He clears his throat, taps his fingers against the cart, and Minseok stays quiet.

//

And so it continues, Luhan and Minseok trailing from place to place, Minseok pushing the cart with him, nudging him every now and then to tell a joke, just like nothing had happened between them.  Luhan is slightly taken aback by the attention, but surprisingly he no longer thinks of the comfortable silences he and Yixing used to share as he cracks gags back at Minseok.  

There are nights where Luhan lies awake, arm slung around Minseok’s waist possessively.  Only Minseok is too quiet when he sleeps, too cautious.  He misses the soft breaths his boy makes when he relaxes, the instinctive way he curls into Luhan.

He shakes these thoughts away.

Minseok takes them near Kyungsoo’s new base, a strong wooden structure blocking off one of the pathways of the maze, the narrow hallway framed by the cement walls and lanterns.  “I have a plan,” Minseok says, and Luhan turns to him.  He isn’t used to not having to come up with plans, but he’s not complaining.

It’s simple, really.  Luhan goes up to their door under the pretence of looking to trade.  “How did you find us?”  Baekhyun asks, surprised, but he is smiling as he pokes at Luhan’s cart with an excited Chanyeol by his side.  “I have my ways,” Luhan hums mysteriously, and Chanyeol laughs throatily with him.  “Where’s Kyungsoo?”  Luhan brings up.  Baekhyun looks up sharply from the wooden horse he was looking at.  “He won’t be here,” Baekhyun says, his eyes shifting to a side stiffly, “I will take his cigs and alcohol for him, however.”

“As long as you have the goods to trade,” Luhan replies, but presses on.  “Why did you guys move?”  Chanyeol puts the promised food into his cart but shakes his head at Luhan’s question.  “It’s an executive decision,” He jokes weakly, “We wanted a change of scenery.”

A sudden loud explosion rocks through the area, and the two immediately perk up.  Luhan leans against his cart as the two dash off to investigate, and he steps forgotten into the wide open gates.  Pressing himself close to the wood, he listens carefully for Kyungsoo - if Kyungsoo comes out now, Luhan will have no place to hide.  He hopes Minseok can take care of Chanyeol and Baekhyun by himself.

An empty room stands to his left and he slips right into it.  Papers litter the wall, all blank, and Luhan runs his fingers along the seams.  The door closes behind him, and he looks behind frantically to see Kim Jongin’s name painted on the walls.

“There you are,” Kyungsoo purrs.  Kyungsoo’s normal black hair has turned into a crimson red, and his eyes look even more eerie in the darkness of the room.  As if on cue, Kyungsoo lights the candle at the corner of the room, casting shadows onto both men.  Luhan draws his blade as Kyungsoo approaches him, the man’s own blade hanging loosely in his grasp.

“Have you come to finish me off, then?”  Kyungsoo asks.  Luhan smiles back at him.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Kyungsoo’s whole stature darkens immediately, and Luhan fights the urge to shiver.  “It took me a while, but eventually I figured out that someone set Kris and I up,” He says calmly, “Kris would never be as stupid to attack Jongin like that.”

Luhan’s breath catches.  “And you think it’s me?”  He tries to pull of the incredulous act, but Kyungsoo hisses angrily at him.

“ _ You think I wouldn’t find out?” _  Kyungsoo’s voice drips with pure venom as the shorter man circles him.  “It was an ingenious plan, I must say,” Kyungsoo continues, dark eyes piercing, “You had me fooled.”

Luhan smiles and makes sure to show all his teeth.  “He didn’t scream,” He says easily, his heart somehow lighter after the admission, “It was a quick kill.  I know why you liked him so much.”  Kyungsoo’s face darkens even further and he takes a visible breath.  

“Say what you want about Jongin,” He retorts, “At least I didn’t drive him insane and kill him.”

Luhan lunges, a faux movement that has Kyungsoo feigning to the right in retaliation, and their blades clash briefly as they return to circling one another, watching for any lapse in judgement.    There’s a sudden loud snap in the distance, and Kyungsoo’s eyes widens minutely but it is enough for Luhan to catch him off guard, bringing his blade down on Kyungsoo’s shoulder just as his knee goes for the shorter man’s stomach, sharp bones digging into soft flesh as Kyungsoo’s arms slam into his shoulder painfully.  Luhan falls back to avoid a fist to the face as he tries to sweep Kyungsoo’s legs out, but the shorter man leaps nimbly out of the way.  

A sharp sting makes Luhan flinch briefly as Kyungsoo’s knife catches along his ribs, but Luhan takes sidesteps quickly to avoid Kyungsoo’s next lunge, and he manages to take hold of Kyungsoo’s elbow and he twists, the sickening crack and angry roar that follows making him leap back in glee.  

Kyungsoo holds his broken arm precariously behind him, his other hand going white from the force he was holding onto his blade.  “Just give up,” Luhan taunts, adrenaline coursing through his nerves, “I’ll break your spine like I did with Jongin.”

Kyungsoo smirks then, his eyes narrowing, and the ground caves under Luhan with a deafening explosion, the raised platform collapsing underneath his feet.  Luhan lands wrong as he falls, the acute pain shooting up his right leg rendering his ankle indisposed, his knife slipping out of his grasp.  Then Kyungsoo’s weight is upon him, knee digging painfully below Luhan’s rib cage as the shorter man brings his usable fist down hard on Luhan’s chest, and for a split second Luhan sees black.

He kicks back against the shorter man, but Kyungsoo straddles his hips firmly, suffocating him as he delivers another blow to the side of Luhan’s head.  Bile and blood mix together and he is forced to spit it out, and a tooth rolls out under the force of Kyungsoo’s attacks.  “I’ll have great fun with both of you,” Kyungsoo smirks, his voice echoing around Luhan’s head, “That’ll teach you a lesson.”

Luhan’s hand scrabble around weakly, but all he can feel is heavy cement and soot.  He tries to pick one up, but the rock slips from his blood-slicked grasp.  Pain erupts like a blossoming flower on his hip as Kyungsoo destroys the fragile bone, still taunting Luhan, murmuring silky words over him.  Fingers wrench his chin up to look at Kyungsoo, the shorter man’s gaze burning into Luhan’s own weary ones.  “This is for Jongin,” He snarls, and Luhan’s back arches up against the cement as Kyungsoo hoists him up with one hand on the front of his shirt, before brutally slamming him back down amongst the rubble.

Something flickers in the corner of his perception and an angel stands there, wings spread solemnly as his halo flickers along with the failing light.  Minseok tears Kyungsoo from Luhan’s back and slams his knife straight into Kyungsoo’s neck, severing the tendons neatly as Luhan takes in oxygen with large gulps.

“What’s the damage?”  Minseok asks, discarding Kyungsoo’s body to a side to kneel over Luhan.  “I can’t quite feel my legs,” Luhan admits, “My face is probably messed up too.”  Minseok laughs, a familiar sound that reminds Luhan of home.  “You’ll always be pretty to me, Luhan,” His childhood friend smiles, and Luhan doesn’t feel the slick slide of metal between his ribcage before it is too late.  

Blood pools inside his mouth as his organs start to clog up, and he stares wide-eyed at Minseok with disbelief as he struggles to retaliate, to do something, but his limbs are far too weak, twitching uselessly against the rubble.

Luhan never thought he would die like this.

“You’ve grown weak, Luhan,” Minseok coos, “Much weaker than I anticipated.  Kyungsoo should’ve just put you out of your misery back then.”

He holds down Luhan’s thrashing torso as he continues.  “There never were any secret documents.  But you were so desperate to avenge your little pet you didn’t even notice.  Such a shame, really.  To die like this.”

“You- You told Kyungsoo about Yixing,” Luhan forced out, stuttering over his words, “It was never- you set me up with Kyungsoo, didn’t you?”

“You’re the last one left,” Min seok says fondly, brushing a hand over his forehead.  It hurts everywhere, and it is getting harder and harder to think as blood pumps out of his body and spills onto the ground.  

Minseok’s hands are cold to the touch, methodical with faux affection.

He hears tinkling laughter, the ghost of a dimpled smile flashing before his eyes.  Red and black explode into a myriad of colours, of stained glass and soft brown hair, fingers wrapped around a blade.  In the corner of the room, an angel stands and watches.

Luhan is liberated.

**Author's Note:**

> So... that. liberation. Yeah. 
> 
> Also, just going to throw it out here. The documents aren't the only thing Minseok lied about.


End file.
